Some clips from and blurbs about his upcoming film Leviathan (2014), which just premiered at Cannes, stolen from this post on Fandor:

Quote from: Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“Andrey Zvyagintsev‘s Leviathan is a sober and compelling tragic drama of corruption and intimidation in contemporary Russia, set in a desolate widescreen panorama,” [...] “This is a movie which seems to be influenced by the Old Testament and Elia Kazan; it starts off looking like a reasonably scaled drama about a little guy taking on big government. Then it escalates to a new plane in which man is taking on the biggest, cruelest, and most implacable government of all, and the final sequence of devastation must surely be influenced by the final moments of Tarkovsky‘s The Sacrifice.”

Quote from: Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter

“Simultaneously a modern essay on suffering, an open-ended thriller, and a black social comedy, it is most importantly of all a thinly-veiled political parable drenched in bitter irony that takes aim against the corrupt, corrosive regime of Vladimir Putin,” [...]“The wacky punchline is that it was made with financial support from the Russian Ministry of Culture…. While Tarkovsky’s work was feted and revered abroad during his lifetime, his aesthetic and thematic deviations from the Party line put him in direct conflict with the Soviet authorities and ultimately forced him into exile. Zvyagintsev, on the other hand, has suffered no persecution from the regime currently in power in Russia—yet…. With this, Zvyagintsev pretty much nails his colors to the mast.”

As Cannes concludes, Sony Pictures Classics keeps buying specialty product. The latest is a small deal for North American rights to the Andrey Zvyagintsev-directed Russian pic Leviathan, which played to strong reaction. SPC came in with five films, and bought two more in Cannes.

Christopher Nolan, in addition to being perhaps the most cerebral director of blockbuster action flicks currently working, clearly cares a lot about the culture of preserving and appreciating film. He’s one of the most vocal advocates of for Kodak Film, along with his chums Quentin Tarantino and J.J. Abrams, and he’s recently branched out into yet another previously uncharted realm, if you’ll forgive the vaguely galactic pun. Variety has recently reported that Syncopy – the production company co-owned by Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas – is planning a joint venture with New York-based independent film distributor Zeitgeist Films whereby the two companies will oversee and curate Blu-Ray releases for Zeitgeist’s prestige titles. And Nolan has good reason to trust Zeitgeist: they handled the release of his assured debut “Following,” a moody, minimal thriller about obsession and paranoia that led to the funding and release of his breakout picture, “Memento.”

The company’s first planned release from the partnership is “Elena,” from “Leviathan” director Andrey Zvyagintsev, which took home the coveted Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 2011. “Elena” is a modern noir set in the atmospheric corridors of a Moscow apartment complex. Seeing how the film can now boast some cred via Zvyagintsev’s involvement – his “Leviathan” was one of 2014’s most well-reviewed films - as well as a purportedly “Hitchcockian” music soundtrack by the great Philip Glass, it’s a fitting first title for the joint company excursion.

“Elena” will get a Blu Ray release on August 4th of this year. In the meantime, Zeitgeist and Syncopy are working on a compilation of animated short films from the Quay brothers that will see a release sometime towards the end of the year.

Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev makes his feature debut with this haunting, poignant family drama. Teenage brothers Andrei (Vladimir Garin) and Ivan (Ivan Dobronravov) have lived with their mother (Natalya Vdovina) and grandmother (Galina Petrova) for as long as they can remember when their long-lost father (Konstantin Lavronenko) suddenly turns up after a twelve-year absence. While Andrei seems happy to see him, the younger Ivan is reluctant and suspicious of his father's motives. The three take a boat to a deserted island in a remote lake in the north of Russia - a trip which turns into an endurance test as the boys struggle to come to terms with their father's presence and cruel, mysterious ways. The film won the Golden Lion award at the 2003 Venice Film Festival.

Set in an unnamed location and time, Andrei Zvyagintsev's truly compelling, mesmerisingly photographed drama follows Alex (Konstantin Lavronenko), Vera (Maria Bonnevie), their young son and daughter, and Alex's brother Mark (Alexander Baluyev), as they relocate from the city to Alex and Mark's father's old house in the country.

Once there, Vera tells Alex that she is pregnant by another man, causing Alex to face huge personal dilemmas, wondering whether to forgive her or exact revenge. Acting on advice from his malevolent brother, Alex demands that Vera terminate the pregnancy. But when complications suddenly arise, Alex's weakening grasp on reality threatens to place events beyond his control.

Paramount Television announced today that it has a dramatic thriller series in the works from Academy Award-nominated director Andrey Zvyagintsev whose Loveless is one of the five foreign language film nominees this year.

This is the first television project for Zvyagintsev, whose films have a long-running track record at the Cannes Film Festival: His 2011 feature Elena won Un Certain Regard, 2014’s Leviathan won best screenplay, and Loveless took the Jury Prize last May. Leviathan was also an Oscar nominee for best foreign language film three years ago.

Zvyagintsev’s untitled series is being produced in the Russian language and will be set in contemporary Moscow. The series is based on an original idea by Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin. Zvyagintsev will serve as EP and direct the first two episodes. Alexander Rodnyansky will also serve as EP. The trio are the same team behind Levithan and Elena.